High-Speed Rail

Friday

May 17, 2013 at 12:01 AM

Gov. Rick Scott drew heat from Democrats — and some Republicans — over the veto of the $2.270 million, high-speed train from Tampa to Orlando with two stops in Polk County.We need common sense and to be realistic. Let us see — how many people use transit today? Examining Amtrak, I found how Polk County residents can board the train in both Lakeland and Winter Haven.Lakeland is straightforward. The Amtrak station on Lake Mirror is three short blocks from Citrus Connection depot. Paul Simmons, manager of Polk County Transit Services, says Citrus Connection route 12 has a stop at the rail terminal for Amtrak passengers.Winter Haven is different. Amtrak is on Lake Shipp, not near downtown. Paul Simmons says WHAT route 40/44 will flex off of its route to the rail terminal per request by the rider. I then realized the opposite situation: Amtrak passengers getting off the train need to contact the bus. Mr. Simmons says rail passengers may call 534-5500 and a driver will be dispatched to the Amtrak location on the next run.Ridership on Citrus Connection is up, and the system is running in the black. Yes, improved rail service is good, and using the bus to get to the two stations is a good start. Also, ridership on Amtrak is up.We do not need to spend billions of dollars on a high-speed train when a few changes, such as encouraging residents to ride Amtrak, would make a big difference. When usage warrants it, more train service will be added.We also can spend money advertising Amtrak passengers to visit Polk County. Amtrak has a community listing of stations. For example, the Winter Haven listing has an advertisement for Legoland, and the Chain of Lakes and local approved hotels.I believe our governor made the right choice. It is up to us, not the federal government, to solve our problems.DANIEL BARKERLakeland